Thousands of families in Stoke-on-Trent Central to benefit from two-child limit reversal

Thousands of families in Stoke-on-Trent Central to benefit from two-child limit reversal

The Government’s decision to scrap the two-child limit will make a big difference to almost 5,000 children in Stoke-on-Trent Central.

New data shows that 4,690 local children are currently affected by the policy, which has reduced support for many working families across the city.

Scrapping the limit sits at the heart of Labour’s new Child Poverty Strategy, which aims to lift 550,000 children out of poverty by the end of this Parliament.

Alongside the reversal, the strategy introduces a wider package designed to make life easier for parents.

This includes expanded access to childcare for families on Universal Credit, upfront childcare payments for parents returning from parental leave, the rollout of free breakfast clubs, and the extension of free school meals to all families receiving Universal Credit.

The plan also commits to ending the long-term use of unsuitable temporary accommodation and providing targeted support where homelessness is highest.

Gareth Snell, MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central, said: “Ending the two-child limit is a major step forward for families in Stoke-on-Trent Central.

“Almost 5,000 children here have been hit by a policy that punished parents and pushed working households into hardship. Removing it will give families the breathing room they have been denied for far too long.

“This is part of Labour’s wider policy delivery, to raise incomes, cut everyday costs and strengthen the support families rely on.

“The expansion of childcare support, free breakfast clubs, free school meals for all families on Universal Credit and action to reduce the use of temporary accommodation will give children in our city a much stronger start.

“Labour promised a serious, practical approach to tackling child poverty, and this strategy delivers exactly that.  I will keep working with my colleagues in the government to make sure Stoke-on-Trent families feel the full benefit of these changes as they come into force.”

The strategy marks the biggest planned reduction in child poverty in a single Parliament since records began and responds to rising need across the country.